Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPut provider credentials in ~/.hermes/.env, use config.yaml for non-secret behavior, and run hermes model when adding a provider for the first time. The in-chat /model command only switches between providers Hermes already knows about.
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Understand Hermes Agent’s configuration files
Hermes separates secrets from ordinary settings. API keys, bot tokens, OAuth secrets and similar credentials belong in ~/.hermes/.env. Model preferences, endpoints and other non-secret behavior settings belong in ~/.hermes/config.yaml. Keeping the two categories separate makes it easier to audit configuration and prevents a secret from being mixed into general settings.
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What you need before starting
Have the provider account, a valid API key or an available OAuth login, and the operating-system user that will run Hermes. If you are using a compatible gateway, obtain its exact base URL and confirm which model names and authentication format it accepts. A credential can be valid while still failing if it is paired with the wrong provider, regional service or endpoint.
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Hermes needs at least one way to connect to an LLM. You can meet that requirement with an API key, an OAuth flow or credentials Hermes can reuse from another supported tool. You do not have to configure every provider listed in the documentation; configure only the service you intend to use.
Set a key from the terminal
- Open a shell as the same user account that will run Hermes.
- Run the provider-specific command. For example, an OpenRouter setup uses
hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY sk-or-your-key. Replace the example value with your actual key, and never publish or commit that value. - Start the provider setup flow with
hermes model. - When Hermes asks which provider and model to use, select the provider you just configured and complete its prompts.
The command writes the value under your home directory, so running it as one operating-system user and launching Hermes as another can make the key appear to be missing. Check the active account’s ~/.hermes directory if a credential is not detected. The same issue can occur when Hermes is started from a service, container or remote shell whose environment and home directory differ from your interactive terminal.
Choose the right command: hermes model or /model?
These commands serve different stages of setup. Use the terminal command for onboarding; use the slash command for an already configured session.
| Command | Where you run it | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
hermes model |
Terminal, outside a chat | Adds a provider, accepts an API key, runs OAuth where available, and configures an endpoint | First-time setup or when adding a provider Hermes has never configured |
/model |
Inside an active Hermes chat | Switches among providers and models that are already configured | Changing models during an established session |
If a provider is absent from the choices shown by /model, leave the chat, run hermes model, and finish that provider’s setup. Running /model repeatedly will not create a missing credential or endpoint. This distinction is especially important after installing Hermes on a new machine: the chat interface cannot perform the initial provider registration by itself.
Provider variables and authentication choices
Provider variable names are specific and effectively case-sensitive. An OpenRouter key is not interchangeable with an OpenAI key simply because both services can expose OpenAI-style APIs. Use the variable documented for the provider you selected.
| Provider | Key or credential variable | Important setup detail |
|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | OPENROUTER_API_KEY |
Store the key in ~/.hermes/.env, then select the provider in hermes model. |
| OpenAI or another OpenAI-compatible service | OPENAI_API_KEY and, when needed, OPENAI_BASE_URL |
Set the base URL when requests must go to a non-default service origin. |
| Anthropic | ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, Claude Code credentials, or an ANTHROPIC_TOKEN fallback |
The interactive hermes model route is preferred for Claude credentials. |
| GitHub Copilot | COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN, or gh auth token |
Classic ghp_* tokens are not supported by the Copilot API; use OAuth or a supported fine-grained token. |
| Google Gemini | GOOGLE_API_KEY or GEMINI_API_KEY |
Gemini can be selected for the main model and can also power auxiliary tasks. |
| z.ai / GLM | GLM_API_KEY |
Select the zai provider after storing the key. |
| Kimi / Moonshot | KIMI_API_KEY for international service or KIMI_CN_API_KEY for China |
Choose the provider variant that matches the credential’s region. |
Hermes supports a broader catalog as well, including MiniMax, Kilo Code, Xiaomi MiMo, DeepSeek, Hugging Face and Alibaba Cloud. The variable name must match the provider entry used by your installed Hermes version; do not substitute a similarly named variable from another service.
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Comparing setup routes
Choose a route by considering five practical differences: whether the provider is available in your account, whether it uses an API key or OAuth, where Hermes stores the resulting credential, whether a custom base URL is required, and whether the provider is your main model or an auxiliary service. Hosted routes such as OpenRouter use a provider-specific key and a standard provider selection. OpenAI-compatible gateways add a base URL. OAuth providers remove the need to copy a key, but still leave a protected credential on the machine. Auxiliary providers can be configured independently so a helper task does not force you to change the main chat model.
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OpenRouter
For an OpenRouter route, place the value in OPENROUTER_API_KEY. The shortest supported flow is:
- Run
hermes config set OPENROUTER_API_KEY sk-or-your-key. - Run
hermes modeland select OpenRouter. - Choose an available model and save the configuration.
The literal sk-or-your-key text is only a placeholder for the command shape. Do not paste a real secret into an article, shell history shared with others, issue tracker or source repository. If you later change providers, leave the old value in place only if you still need it; otherwise remove or rotate it through the provider and update Hermes.
OpenAI and compatible services
Use OPENAI_API_KEY for authentication. If the service is not at Hermes’ default OpenAI origin, also set OPENAI_BASE_URL to the exact endpoint origin required by that service. When the base URL is present, Hermes sends the key to that endpoint rather than silently using a different origin.
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For a company proxy or self-hosted gateway, ask its administrator whether the URL should include a path such as /v1. Do not assume that the host alone is sufficient. The endpoint must also implement the request format and model name Hermes sends; compatibility with one OpenAI client does not automatically guarantee compatibility with every feature.
Anthropic
Anthropic can authenticate with ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. Hermes also recognizes Claude Code credentials and an ANTHROPIC_TOKEN fallback. Because these alternatives have different credential flows, use hermes model and follow the interactive prompts instead of guessing which file or token format to create.
GitHub Copilot
Hermes checks COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN, and can also obtain a token through gh auth token. A classic ghp_* token is not accepted by the Copilot API. If you do not have a supported token, use the Copilot OAuth device-login flow exposed by hermes model. The precedence matters when more than one variable is exported: an older value in a higher-priority variable can be selected unexpectedly.
Google Gemini, GLM and Kimi
Gemini accepts either GOOGLE_API_KEY or GEMINI_API_KEY. GLM uses GLM_API_KEY and is selected through the zai provider. Kimi separates international and China credentials: use KIMI_API_KEY for the international variant or KIMI_CN_API_KEY for the China variant. Selecting the wrong regional provider can look like an invalid-key error even when the token itself is valid.
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Configure a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint
A self-hosted gateway, company proxy or other compatible service generally needs two values: the API key and the base URL. Set them as environment variables:
- Run
hermes config set OPENAI_API_KEY your-key. - Run
hermes config set OPENAI_BASE_URL https://your-endpoint.example/v1, replacing the example with the origin and path required by your service. - Run
hermes modeland choose the custom or OpenAI-compatible provider option. - Send a small test request before relying on the endpoint for long jobs.
Hermes also supports variable substitution inside config.yaml. Use the braced form ${VAR_NAME}; bare $VAR is not expanded.
model:
provider: custom
base_url: ${OPENAI_BASE_URL}
api_key: ${OPENAI_API_KEY}This pattern keeps the secret out of YAML while allowing the same configuration structure to work across machines with different environment files. Verify that the endpoint’s expected path, protocol and authentication header match what the compatible service documents. A reachable URL with the wrong path can produce a 404 or route error that looks unrelated to authentication. Conversely, a correct path with an expired or under-scoped key will fail authentication, so test the URL and credential separately when diagnosing a problem.
Auxiliary-task endpoints
Hermes can use a separate endpoint for an auxiliary task. When an auxiliary task has a base_url, Hermes calls that address directly and authenticates with the configured api_key or OPENAI_API_KEY. This lets the main model and a helper model use different services without replacing the main provider selection. Treat the auxiliary endpoint as a separate trust boundary: review where its URL sends data and make sure the credential is authorized for that service.
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Use OAuth when a provider supports it
An API key is not mandatory for every Hermes provider. The provider setup flow documents OAuth alternatives, so start with hermes model even if you expected to copy a token manually.
- Nous Portal and OpenAI Codex: complete the OAuth flow displayed by
hermes modelinstead of creating an API-key variable. - GitHub Copilot: use the OAuth device login when you do not have a supported fine-grained token.
- Anthropic: reuse Claude Code credentials when available; Hermes can fall back to the documented token options.
OAuth secrets are still credentials. Keep them in Hermes’ managed location, protect the operating-system account that can read them, and revoke the session through the provider if the machine is lost or compromised. OAuth is convenient for interactive setup, while an API key may be easier to provision in a controlled service account; choose the option that matches how Hermes will run.
Inspect and validate the resulting configuration
After setup, verify the configuration without exposing the secret itself.
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- Run
hermes configto inspect the effective configuration and confirm that the intended provider, model and endpoint are present. - Run
hermes config checkafter edits. Address syntax or validation errors before starting a chat. - Start Hermes and make a short request. Confirm that the selected model responds and that the request reaches the intended endpoint.
- Inside the chat, use
/modelonly to switch among the providers that now appear as configured choices.
Do not print the contents of ~/.hermes/.env into a bug report. If you need to show a configuration, redact every key, token and OAuth secret while leaving variable names and non-secret paths visible. When comparing two machines, compare provider names, endpoint paths and redacted variable names rather than copying complete files.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
Hermes says the key is missing
- Check the variable spelling exactly.
OPENROUTER_API_KEYandOPENAI_API_KEYare different credentials. - Confirm the value is in the active user’s
~/.hermes/.envor exported into the environment of the Hermes process. - Run
hermes configandhermes config checkto identify a malformed or unrecognized setting. - Make sure Hermes is launched under the same user account that received the configuration.
- Check for a higher-priority environment variable containing an obsolete token, especially with GitHub Copilot’s documented variable order.
The provider does not appear in /model
/model only switches among configured choices. Exit the chat and run hermes model to add the provider, complete authentication and save it. Re-enter the chat afterward.
Authentication fails at a custom endpoint
- Verify both
OPENAI_BASE_URLandOPENAI_API_KEY; a valid key sent to the wrong origin still fails. - Check whether the service expects a versioned path such as
/v1and whether Hermes’ configured URL includes it. - If the value is referenced from YAML, change
$OPENAI_API_KEYto${OPENAI_API_KEY}. - Confirm that the endpoint accepts the model and request format Hermes is sending.
- Test a short request and inspect only non-secret status or route errors; never enable diagnostics that dump authorization headers.
GitHub Copilot rejects the token
Do not use a classic ghp_* token with the Copilot API. Supply a supported fine-grained token, use the documented environment-variable precedence, or complete OAuth device login through hermes model.
Regional Kimi credentials fail
Match the variable and provider variant to the token’s region: KIMI_API_KEY for international service or KIMI_CN_API_KEY for China. Switching only the token while leaving the regional provider unchanged can preserve the failure.
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Hermes reads the environment available to the process and the files under that process’s home directory. A key configured for one account, virtual environment or remote host will not automatically appear for another. Use hermes config set while logged in as the account that will run Hermes, then validate from that same context.
Protect keys and avoid configuration leaks
- Never commit
~/.hermes/.envto source control or paste its contents into public logs. - Use the narrowest provider permissions available and rotate a key if it appears in shell history, a screenshot or a support ticket.
- Keep the key in
.envand reference it from YAML with${VAR_NAME}rather than embedding the secret inconfig.yaml. - Review the base URL before sending a production credential. A custom endpoint determines where Hermes transmits the key.
- When sharing diagnostics, include variable names and redacted values only.
- Do not place real credentials in example commands that may be copied into documentation, chat transcripts or issue templates.
A practical setup checklist
- Identify the provider and its exact variable name.
- Store the secret with
hermes config set KEY VAL, or complete the provider’s OAuth flow. - Use
hermes modelfor first-time provider setup. - Set
OPENAI_BASE_URLwhenever an OpenAI-compatible service uses a non-default endpoint. - Use
${VAR_NAME}for substitutions in YAML. - Run
hermes configandhermes config check. - Test a short request, then use
/modelfor in-chat switching. - Confirm the operating-system user, home directory and endpoint are the ones intended for the deployment.
With that separation in place, Hermes has a predictable setup path: credentials live in the user environment file, behavior lives in YAML, interactive onboarding belongs to hermes model, and session-time switching belongs to /model.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I put a Hermes API key?
Use hermes config set PROVIDER_KEY your-key. API-key values are routed to ~/.hermes/.env; keep ordinary behavior settings in ~/.hermes/config.yaml.
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Should I use hermes model or /model?
Run hermes model in a terminal to add or authenticate a provider for the first time. Use /model inside an existing chat only to switch among providers and models already configured.
Can I use a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint?
Yes. Set OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL, or configure the endpoint through hermes model. In YAML, reference variables as ${VAR_NAME}, not bare $VAR.
Why is my provider missing from /model?
The slash command does not perform initial setup. Exit the chat, run hermes model, complete authentication and save the provider, then start or re-enter the chat.
Do I always need an API key?
No. Hermes supports OAuth for Nous Portal, OpenAI Codex and GitHub Copilot, and can reuse Claude Code credentials for Anthropic. Start the setup wizard to see the available method.
Which variables does Hermes use for GitHub Copilot?
Hermes checks COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, then GH_TOKEN, then GITHUB_TOKEN, and can use gh auth token. Classic ghp_* tokens are not supported by the Copilot API.
Why does a valid Kimi key fail?
Use the provider variant that matches the credential’s region: KIMI_API_KEY for international service or KIMI_CN_API_KEY for China.
How can I verify setup without leaking a secret?
Run hermes config and hermes config check, then make a short test request. Share only redacted variable names, endpoints and error details.
The Bottom Line
Store secrets in ~/.hermes/.env, keep non-secret settings in config.yaml, use hermes model for first-time provider setup, and reserve /model for switching among configured choices. For compatible gateways, pair OPENAI_API_KEY with the exact OPENAI_BASE_URL and use ${VAR_NAME} substitution in YAML.
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